Nikon F4 opinions?

[roninghost]

I would recomend a F100, its as solid as it comes. Great camera love mine. Happy shooting.

Kris Navarro

[BetterSense]

I don't understand the point of these big 35mm cameras I think.

I just bought a F4s and sold it within a week because I realized how big and heavy it was. What's the point? 35mm is a miniature format; why is the camera the size of a cantaloupe? My friend has a F100 and it's the same thing. It's so big; I can't imagine taking it on vacation and walking around with it around my neck. Why, when a vastly smaller camera will work just as well and take the same film? Maybe I can see using them in the studio on a tripod, but then 35mm is a compromise in the studio anyway.

I think they were developed and marketed to action/sports/nature photographers who needed the lenses and the speed, and photojournalists who needed the film capacity. Now it seems like it would be folly to shoot action or sports with a film SLR and photojournalists have to use digital cameras for quick publishing.

Although the hype remains for the big honkin AF cameras like the F4/5/100, I think their niche has been stolen and I don't see any more of them in my future. The next AF camera I buy will probably be a Pentax MZ-5n or similar reasonably-sized camera.

[PhotoJim]

BetterSense, maybe an F80 or F70 would be a better fit for you.

I have a bunch of Nikons and I find myself reaching more and more for the F4S. The excellent compatibility with older Nikkor lenses and the simple controls, plus the fact that it uses cheap and easy-to-get AA batteries, make it a winner for me.

[Steve Smith]

I just bought a F4s and sold it within a week because I realized how big and heavy it was.

The first time I saw an F4 I couldn't believe how big it was. I have smaller medium format cameras.


Steve.

[BetterSense]

BetterSense, maybe an F80 or F70 would be a better fit for you.

I have a bunch of Nikons and I find myself reaching more and more for the F4S. The excellent compatibility with older Nikkor lenses and the simple controls, plus the fact that it uses cheap and easy-to-get AA batteries, make it a winner for me.

That's why I went with an F4; it's a lot like my normal-focus cameras. Heck it even has a rewind crank so I don't have to fish my film leaders out of the cassettes. But the main excuse for buying it (my wife is too blind to manual-focus) was nullified by its weight and bulk. She couldn't hold it up without bracing her elbows against herself. Sorry honey, I didn't realize they even made 35mm cameras this big. I have an N75 on the way now; at least it will be light enough for her to use.

I really want to like these "advanced" late-model cameras, what with their auto-focusing, matrix-metering, and motordrives, but I don't understand why they've gone so far backward it terms of size and weight, not to mention viewfinder size. What I really want is a camera the size of my OM2 but with all the gizmos. I guess now I realize that Pentax has some fully-featured AF cameras that are roughly the size of a normal-focus camera like the ME. To me, this is progress. I still have to find one though; I guess they never caught on.

I have smaller medium format cameras

This. Actually my Isolette is smaller than ANY of my 35mm cameras because it's so flat. I can carry it in by back jeans pocket.

[Nikanon]

Personally its not your look that is of any deal to me, i say get the camera that has all the features you need, for me its a 4x5, for you it sounds more like an F4, the F5 i think was made for that 8fps as people were getting more into speed which then stopped as digital came along. 8 fps? a 36 exp roll of film is gone in... 4.5 seconds.

[Pumal]

If we are going to get so carried away; I'll tell tou that many times I just take out my Yashica Lynx 14 e IC with it's 1.4 lens in my pocket (granted; a big pocket)

[glockman99]

The first time I saw an F4 I couldn't believe how big it was. I have smaller medium format cameras.


Steve.

I love my F4s...Big & heavy as it is, but then, I'm not a puny guy...For me, something like an Olympus OM-1n is just too small.